Intelligence is the sorcery stat: you need it to cast glintstone sorceries, it boosts their damage, and it powers weapons with Intelligence scaling. It also raises magic defense, with soft caps at 20, 35 and 60.
What Intelligence does
Sorceries have Intelligence requirements, and staves turn your Intelligence into sorcery damage. Exceeding a staff’s requirement raises its sorcery scaling, so more Intelligence means harder-hitting spells like Glintstone Pebble. Weapons with Intelligence scaling gain damage too, and every point adds magic defense. You raise it the usual way: spend Runes at a Site of Grace once Melina has given you the ability to level up.
Magic defense soft caps
| Intelligence | What happens |
|---|---|
| 20 | First soft cap: magic defense gains per point start to shrink |
| 35 | Second soft cap: gains shrink again |
| 60 | Third soft cap: gains shrink again |
Intelligence requirements for staves and weapons
| Intelligence needed | Armaments |
|---|---|
| 9 | Crystal Knife |
| 10 | Glintstone Staff, Demi-Human Queen’s Staff |
| 12 | Horn Bow, Digger’s Staff |
| 13 | Ivory Sickle, Lazuli Glintstone Sword |
| 14 | Sword of St. Trina, Full Moon Crossbow |
| 15 | Crystal Sword, Carian Knight’s Shield |
| 16 | Astrologer’s Staff |
| 18 | Carian Knight’s Sword, Troll Knight’s Sword, Rosus’ Axe |
| 22 | Carian Glintblade Staff |
| 24 | Sword of Night and Flame, Carian Glintstone Staff |
| 28 | Academy Glintstone Staff |
| 48 | Crystal Staff |
| 52 | Azur’s Glintstone Staff |
| 60 | Carian Regal Scepter |
Which builds want Intelligence
Sorcerers live on it, usually with Mind for FP and some Vigor to stay alive. Spellblades who use Intelligence-scaling weapons, such as the Carian knight gear above, also invest heavily.
Starting classes with the most Intelligence
| Starting class | Intelligence |
|---|---|
| Astrologer | 16 |
| Prisoner | 14 |
| Warrior | 10 |
| Wretch | 10 |
The Hero and Prophet start lowest with 7.
Gear that raises Intelligence
- Stargazer Heirloom: talisman, +5 Intelligence.
- Twinsage Glintstone Crown: +6 Intelligence, 9% less HP and Stamina.
- Karolos Glintstone Crown (+3, less Stamina), Olivinus Glintstone Crown (+3, less HP), Queen’s Crescent Crown (+3).
- Lazuli Glintstone Crown (+3 Int and Dex) and Witch’s Glintstone Crown (+3 Int and Arcane).
- Haima Glintstone Crown, Hierodas Glintstone Crown, Imp Head (Cat) and Salza’s Hood: +2 each.
- Marika’s Scarseal / Marika’s Soreseal: +3 / +5 to Mind, Intelligence, Faith and Arcane.
- Intelligence-knot Crystal Tear: +10 for 3 minutes in the Flask of Wondrous Physick.
- Fingerprint Nostrum: +6 for 90 seconds.